A new upload on the WWE Vault channel on YouTube celebrates the 45th anniversary of Sgt. Slaughter and Pat Patterson facing off in an Alley Fight.
The footage, introduced by Slaughter, shows the bout that emanated from Madison Square Garden on May 4, 1981, considered one of the most influential matches of an era that precedes “Hulkamania” as an early example of the company presenting hardcore wrestling.
As detailed by Slaughter in his introduction, the match is the culmination of the rivalry between he and Patterson, who was working as an announcer and wrestler.
The WWE Hall of Famer adds that the match helped inspire Mick Foley to become a professional wrestler, and is held in high regard by WWE as an example of how to tell a story through a match’s in-ring work.